Transit and universal accessibility

Accessibility is a fundamental principle of our design process, not an afterthought. Our features are designed to ease use for people with visual and ambulatory impairments. GO mode tracks your trip while you are on it, telling you when you are two stops away, or about to reach your stop, which is particularly useful for people who have trouble hearing and seeing. Transit's journey planner allows you to prioritize trips that have less walking, or that avoid stairs as much as possible.

With over 180 agency partners, Transit adheres to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), the technical standard for digital accessibility referenced by the ADA. We have extensive processes to test the app for any regressions as new features are launched or bug fixes are made.

Currently, Transit largely conforms to WCAG 2.2 Level AAA standard. Although there are a few items that are partially supported, Transit is designed with universal best practices for inclusive design in mind and continually iterates over time. Our VPAT report is available upon request.

Beyond compliance, Transit ensures real-time departures and trip planning are accessible to all, with intuitive, inclusive design at its core. 

This page includes:

• In-app accessibility information
• Accessibility features
• Trip planner accessibility
• GO Mode
• Screen reader support

Mobility accessibility 

Transit displays wheelchair accessibility information for stops and vehicles when provided by the agency. From the main screen, users can see whether an approaching vehicle or nearby stop is accessible. The route details screen highlights accessible stops along a route, and the schedule screen shows which upcoming departures at a rider’s closest stop are accessible vehicles.

Accessibility features  

Alongside WCAG compliance and support for TalkBack and VoiceOver, Transit offers two key features that enhance usability for riders with accessibility needs: the accessible trip planner and GO.

Accessible trip planner 

Transit offers a complete step-free-trip option in our trip planner. Users can turn on accessibility information in two places in the User Profile, in the "On the sidewalk" section, and further down in "Preferences," in the "Settings and accessibility" section.

"On the sidewalk"

Transit lets riders set their walking or rolling speed (1.25–3.75 MPH). This setting affects the “prioritize walking” option, allowing users to choose walking-priority preferences: minimal walking, maximum 10- or 20-minute walks, or showing walking for all origin/destination pairs.

The walking-priority parameter options include “as little walking as possible” as a first option, 10- and 20-minute walk-time maximums, and finally, surfacing walking as an option for all O/D pairs. 

"Settings and accessibility" 

• Show accessibility info: Displays whether vehicles and stops are wheelchair accessible.
• Show accessible trips first: Surfaces only accessible trip options in the planner.
• Lines with color in their name (e.g., STM Orange Line) can have the color written out to assist users with visual impairments. 

GO mode: step-by-step navigation 

Users can tap GO to receive step-by-step audio instructions throughout their journey, including alerts when their stop is approaching. Visually impaired riders have found GO especially helpful, as it provides contextual audio guidance at each stage of their trip.

Screen readers 

Transit works with both major mobile screen readers—VoiceOver (iOS) and TalkBack (Android). Users navigate by selecting an element, listening as it is read aloud, and double-tapping to activate it. Route names, stops, and trip durations are presented in concise, easy-to-understand sentences. A dedicated group of visually impaired beta testers helps identify screen reader issues and provides feedback on features.